I’ve worked with teenagers for over twenty years now and have loved every minute of it. Many I’ve known have been well-balanced, happy teens. Yet I’ve been surprised at the numbers who have faced either mild or serious depression. The causes of teen depression vary, but the warning signs are the same:

Sadness or hopelessness

Irritability, anger, or hostility

Tearfulness or frequent crying

Withdrawal from friends and family

Loss of interest in activities

Changes in eating and sleeping habits

Restlessness and agitation

Feelings of worthlessness and guilt

Lack of enthusiasm and motivation

Fatigue or lack of energy

Difficulty concentrating

Thoughts of death or suicide 1

If you know a teen with these symptoms, don’t ignore them. Get help immediately from a doctor, counselor, pastor or someone who can get you the resources you need. There’s even a 24-hour National Suicide Prevention Lifeline: 1-800-273-TALK. What we don’t want to happen is for a teen’s depression to get so severe that he or she contemplates suicide. Here are some additional warning signs that they may be headed in that direction:

Talking or joking about committing suicide

Saying things like, “I’d be better off dead,” “I wish I could disappear forever,” or “There’s no way out”

Speaking positively about death or romanticizing dying (“If I died, people might love me more”)

Writing stories and poems about death, dying, or suicide

Engaging in reckless behavior or having a lot of accidents resulting in injury

Giving away prized possessions

Saying goodbye to friends and family as if for good

Seeking out weapons, pills, or other ways to kill themselves 2

In 2001, teen suicide was the third leading cause of death among young people ages 15-24. There’s no annual data regarding suicide attempts, but there are an estimated 8-25 attempted suicides for every teen suicide death. 3

As the mom of a teen, these statistics sadden me. The teen years are supposed to be some of the best years of a person’s life. They should be full of fun and friends, adventures and learning new things, getting to know Jesus and living that abundant life He talks about.

Many of our kids are in trouble. They need us. As parents, grandparents, teachers, pastors and family friends, we need to give our kids a break. We need to love them unconditionally, forgive them always, accept them as they are, be an example of a well-balanced and happy Christian, and offer them the support and help they need, should they face depression.